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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 6 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
 Effective, glossy, and inexpensive! Oct 04, 2010
By Dolly
My nails grow fast and are naturally a bit soft and bendy. My nails would grow a decent amount, then snag, break, or just get so dirty and ragged and uneven that I would clip them super-close to avoid being embarrassed by them. I never had the money to go to a salon and even if I did, I don't trust anyone who wants to clip off my cuticles! Nor did I want fake nails - they had always struck me as uncomfortable, unsanitary, a bit dangerous, and just too false-looking. So I had just figured that my nails would stay in their sorry state until I was old enough and bourgeois enough to afford a good-quality weekly manicure.
Then I became single for the first time in 6 years, and found I wanted to pamper myself and do something to feel more feminine in a small and easy way. People notice nails - I know I was always aware of which of my friends had glossy, beautiful nails. I specifically went into the nail-hardener search looking for a product that would give me long, glossy, hard, natural nails.
I was honestly looking for a different product with higher reviews (OPI's strengthener) and after trying 3 different stores without success, I bought Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails in Clear instead, out of sheer shopping exhaustion. It's available everywhere and cost at least 5 dollars less than what I was looking for. At Target it cost less than 2 dollars.
I also bought a super cheap 4-sided nail buffer (also less than 2 bucks at Target). I wanted my nails to look as smooth and shiny as possible and I knew that progressive-sided buffers like this were the best first step. I once got roped into buying a 25 dollar buffer-and-moisturizer set from a mall kiosk salesman - what a crock! You can buy the same buffer anywhere for less than 2 bucks and get perfect shiny nails.
That night I used the various sides of the nail buffer to sand down the ridges in my nails, buff, and shine all 10 nails. A note - sometimes it's easier to hold the buffer still and move your nail over it instead, especially when doing your dominant hand.
Then I washed my hands (there's a fine dust that comes off your nails from the buffing). I noticed that my nail tips were looking a bit yellow, so I soaked them in a strong solution of hydrogen peroxide, water, and lemon juice for about 5 minutes, until they had clearly bleached out to a shade much closer to white. I washed again and dried thoroughly.
Then the moment of truth - I got the medicinal-looking little bottle out of its package and opened it. As I applied it, I was very happy with how easy it is to apply. It's clear, so it's tough to mess up, even if you're as uncoordinated as I am. I applied one coat to my nail and one coat to the underside of the nail.
This stuff dries reasonably fast. I gave it 30 minutes or so on each hand before doing anything strenuous.
I was immediately pleased by how shiny my nails were. The gloss is high on this product, which for me was a big plus - like having shiny hair, I feel shiny nails look healthy, youthful, feminine, and pretty. It's clear, so it's understated, but it's still obvious my nails have been cared for.
That was Friday night. This is Monday night, so I've had it on about 72 hours. I had a big 3 days that involved a trip to an amusement park, a day-trip to Washington DC, and a day's work as a nanny. Despite having only applied 1 coat, my nails are still nearly as shiny and nice right now as they were Friday. After 3 days of being rough with my hands, none of my nails have chipped, torn, cracked, split, or peeled in the last 3 days, even though they are all at an advanced stage of growth. They are long and shiny and glorious, and they definitely don't bend anywhere near as much as they did - they're positively hard, in fact.
I am a convert and a believer. If you're interested in a glossy, hard nail that lasts long enough to grow out, I recommend Hard as Nails without reservation. Cheap, available, glossy, effective.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Great Sep 20, 2011
By S. Godinez
Love the product cheaper than the stores. Works great, came in great condition. I will buy this product again and will recommend to others.
6 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Was this supposed to be a hardener? Nov 26, 2011
By Ghost(Ghost(M))
The only reason I'm giving this three rather than one star is that my intent was somewhat unusual and perhaps when used with more traditional goals in mind this product isn't so bad.
Like every classical guitar player, I'm involved in a never-ending quest to find a way to promote my human nails on my right hand into bone-like, superhard plectra. So I tried this thing on a whim while browsing for something else in the drugstore (they probably think I'm a tranny or something 'cause I'm constantly checking out the nail department). Anyway, this thing said "hardener" so I picked up a bottle. Tried it at home the next time I had to file down my nails. Well. It's like clear plastic dissolved in acetone; smells like hell, brought tears to my eyes, but OK -- the problem is, it's not all that hard. The only thing it does as far as I could see is sealing the edge of the nail against moisture. But the thing itself, after it hardens, remains fairly soft. In addition, it started to fray and peal within a day. There is no question that it'll withstand contact with strings -- it won't, it actually is far softer than nails themselves (you can draw grooves in it with a nail). I was hoping for an epoxy-like hardness, but it's not it, so be warned, it doesn't harden a damn thing. Bottomline: can't say anything to ladies, but for guitar players this thing is no good.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Completely ineffective Apr 16, 2012
By Ellie
I bought this to replace another one of my nail strengtheners. I'd hoped it would help me grow out my nails but it's so brittle it chips and peels at the slightest touch. It always seems to come off the chipped parts of my nails, which is exactly what it's supposed to be protecting! I'll have to go buy a different brand if I ever want my nails to grow out.
awesome Apr 11, 2012
By Lauren Bowden
Great stuff! best ive used for hardening your nails...makes a great clear polish as well! Thanks amazon for always having great prices :)
See all 6 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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